Power posing is Key to a Successful Job Interview

In this post, I'll look at what to do before a successful job interview.

Did you ever hear the expression, "Fake it until you make it"? Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist, has put a new twist on the term. She talks about faking it until you become it (see her popular Ted talk).

What does this have to do with a successful job interview? Everything!

Cuddy has studied nonverbal expressions of power and dominance. We know that during an interview non-verbal behaviour, such as smiling, hand gesturing, and nodding, can increase your chances of being selected.

In her psychological experiments, she has found that if you pretend to be powerful before taking an interview, you are more likely to actually feel powerful.

This significant finding may help you have a successful job interview and land your dream job.

Her work has focused on high power poses versus low power poses. In other words, the way we use our body affects the way we think and feel. Take, for example, the high power pose of the woman above. The woman obviously projects confidence and enthusiasm.

On the other hand, the man below is showing a low power pose. He looks weak and worried.

Here is the good news. Cuddy had participants practice high power poses for several minutes before a job interview. She found that they performed better and were more likely to get hired. (See Cuddy's working paper for more detailed information.)

Successful job interview - low power pose

So the next time you are called for a job interview practice a high power pose just before you are interviewed. Fake it until you become it, as Cuddy says.

Image of woman courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net / Image of man courtesy of khunaspix at FreeDigitalPhotos.net